Sharp freezing container for mechanical rbfsigbbators



April 23, 1929. LG. QDPEMAN.

sum? mmzma com-Arum FOR MECHANICAL nnmmm 'rons- 2 Sheets-Sheet ori inal Filed lay s 1928 .Zzam

IIIIIIIIIJ J AT ORNEY.

April 23,1929. s. 'COPEMAN Re. 17,

SHARP FREEZING CQNTAINER FOR MECHANICAL REFRIGERA'IORS I Original Filed May 5. 1928 2 Shqaets- Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

zoya (off/Yaw 7 A TTORNEY.

\ lease a few of the ice cubes at one time.

operation is not only a material melting awa length of Reissued 23 LLOYD G. co'rn'man, or rrmnurcnrem. assreuon re cornxan nanom'rom COMPANY, or F'Lmr, mrcnreamn comes-non or MICHIGAN.

' SHARP FREEZING CONTAINER FOB IECEANICAL BEFRIGERATOBS.

Original K031575599, dated July 3, 1928,5er1al Ho. when... a, 1028. Divided and this application for reissue filed January 4, 1988. Serial No. 330,880.

\ Dimes B for forming ice cubes and the like,

method of separating and releasing the ice cubes When desired.

Practically every embodying automatic domestic refrigerator refrigeration is provided with a low side or cooling unit having sharp freezing chambers of one or more trays, commonly called ice cube trays. Anyone who has used these ice trays has experienced the difliculty of removing the ice cubes ally being necessary up side down under running warm water to release'the entire batch of ice cubes and then' the frame, or

remove them one by from the tray, it usuto either hold the tray one fromto direct the hot water at one particularpomt on the top or bottom of the tray to only reresults in cubes obtained an This tedious and mess but of t e ice d also results inmaterial melting of the other ice cubes left in'the tray and replaced in the more, the

refrigerator. Furtherdoor of the refrigerator is frequently left open during this procedure and the time hitherto required to separate and obtainone or more ice cubes has resulted in a material warming of the refrigerator interior and a consequent reduction in;-

efiiciency.

It is the object of the present invention to provide sharp freezing tra s ing of ice cubes and the li e,

for thefrecz+ which are of such composition and such flexibility as to permit distortion thereof and'quick removal of one or more ice cubes without any heating or melting of the tray, the only step require being the distortion of all or a portion of the tray.

This novel crably obtained by sharp freezing container is pref forming the tray or a portion thereof out of a flexible material such as rubber, preferably is therefore formc molded. Each ice cube within flexible or distortablc walls the distortion of whichp'e'rmits oasy'separation and/or removal of the ice cubes.

whether each ice cube 1S flexible material or the vidual container of This will be true regardless of formed man indicomplete tray and the for the reception 1; The tray is preferably the freezing action of the ice cubes.

"is formed integrally and is made up of flexibleunaterial.

This application is a division of my reissue application filed of even date herewith.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view,;partly cut I away, of anice cube tray embodying my invent on.

Flg. Q 1S8. perspective view of a reinforcing tray or frame such as might'be utilized for reinforcing the ice cube tray shown in Fig. 1'.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of a flexible ice cube tray similar to that shown in Fig. 1, as assembled in a reinforcing frame such as shown in Fig.2.

d Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a sharp freezing container for individual ice' cube cups.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one-of the cups as shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5'is a 'dlagrammaticview illustrating" themanner of separating and removing ice I cubes. froma container such as shown In v Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 1s a cross-sectional view of an ice cube container similar to that shown in Fig.

1, but being provided with a reinforcing plate in the bottomthereof. The gist of. the present invention relates to the forming of a sharp freezing container, such as ice ciibe tra s, terial, and while I ave shown a preferred form and several modifications, it will obvious that these may be varied to a con si'derable extent without departing from the basic idea embodied thereim' In Fig. 1 I have shown an integral ice cube tray which may be generally designated formed of molded rubber of a consistency which will withstand.

embodiment shown in-Fig.

also so formed as to be inherently reinforced out of a flexible ma- In the I ile the m hu flexible it is in order to stand up when. filled with water 1 and inserted in the cooling unit of the refrigcrating system.

the sides of the containerj'and are of course likewise formed of rubber. Such partitions may vary considerably 'as to thickness and height.

In Fig. -'2 I- have shown what may be Suitable partitions 2 are formed integrally with termed an addition to the structure shown in p Fig; 1, or a modification. thereof. The frame shown in Fig. 2 may be generally designated '3 and is preferably perforated, as shown,

whereby to provide just enough stiffness to siliency. Such a frame and tray 1s shown as at 4 inFig. 2.

When such a frame as 3 is utilized as a reinforcing medium, it will be obvious that the rubber tray can either be completely removed or the frame itself may be of such fiex ible material as to be distortable with the rubber container. The openings in the bottom of the frame may also be readily utilized in flexing the rubber container to separate and discharge the ice cubes. 1

,A further modification of the present invention is shown in Fig. 3 wherein a standard tray 5 may be utilized to receive a plurality of individual containers 6. These containers 6 are preferably formed of molded rubber, and each is preferably provided with a suitable tab 7 to permit ready removal thereof from the tray. It 'will be obvious that a frame such as shown in Fig. 2, or a flat frame having apertures, may also be used for receiving and positioning the individual cup 6. 'When individual containers such as 6 are utilized it will be obvious that they may be made of very flexible material and independent ly removed from the tray. Not only may the walls of such container 6 be flexed to discharge the ice cubes but I have found that the entire container may be turned, inside out to quickly and positively discharge the ice cubes. I

Very frequently it is desirable to obtain only one or two ice cubes at a time and by utilizing such single containers it is possible to very quickly remove the single container from its tray or frame and discharge the ice cubes therefrom. Such ice cubes will be intheir whole,

normal and comparatively dry condition.

v In Fig. 6 I haye shown a further modification of my structure wherein the upper walls 8 are formed ofmolded'rubber and the bottom wall reinforced by a suitable plate 9 .which is preferably perforated. This bottom plate 9 willgive the entire tray necessary rigidity so that it can be moved in and outof the cooling unit and the upstanding walls 8 will be of suitable rigidity to hold the water but still being flexible enough to permit easy discharge of the ice cubes.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated one manner of carrying out the novel method involved in the structure as shown in Fig. l or even in Fig. 2. In the diagrammatic view illustrated, the flexible tray is shown being flexed so as to distort the walls thereof an free the ice cubes.

easy discharge of the ice cubes'therefrom. It

will be understood that the flexibility and even the flexible material itself may vary within wide limits according to the nature of the frozen article or articles and the size and shape thereof, it being obvious that in some instances it may be desirable to have an entire tray formed of rubber without theinner connecting partitions so that a single large hunk of ice or other frozen substance may be quickly removed therefrom by merely -dis torting or flexing the material of the container.

What I claim is:

1. A container for use with mechanical refrigerating units and adapted to, receive water or the like to be frozen, comprising compartments formed at least in part. of a flexible and elastic material, and reinforcing means for maintaining the container in operative shape without destroying bility of some of the walls thereof.

2. A container of the type adapted to be inserted in heat conducting relation with the-cooling unit of a mechanical refrigerating system for freezing water and the like, comprising compartments formed of apermanent readilydistortable material not readily wettable by water to permit easy removal of the frozen article or articles, and reinforcing means for reinforcing at least a part of the distortable container and maintaining the container in operative shape when filled with water and the like. Y

3. A container of the type adapted to be inserted in heat conducting relation with the cooling unit of amechanical refrigerating system for freezing water and the like, comprising a molded main container formed at least in part of rubber and distortable to permit easy removal of the frozen article or articles, and'reinforcin means for giving the main. container sufficient rigidity so that it can be moved into and out of the cooling unit as a unit.

4. A maintainer of the type adapted to be inserted. in heat conducting relation with the cooling unit of a mechanical refrigerating system for freezing water and the like, comprising a series of compartments formed of an inherently flexible material not readily wettable by water, said flexible material forming the compartments being relatively thin, and means for reinforcing and maintaining the container in operative shape so as to hold water and the like.

sharp freezing'container adapted to be positioned in heat conductin relation with the cooling unit of a mechanica of the type vsaid wallsbeing inherently self-supporting and formed at least in part of a non-metallic inherently flexible material to which ice does not readily adhere, and reinforcing means positioned adjacent the bottom portion of said container to give the'container sufiicient rigidity so that it can hold water and the like and be moved in and out of the cooling unit as a com act unit. 7 y

.6. A s ar freezing container of the type adapted to e positioned in heat conducting relation with the cooling unit of a mechanical refrigerating system, comprising a container formed of walls for defining the shape and size of the article or articles to be frozen, said walls being formed at least in part of rubber and being self-supporting, and reinforcing means positioned adjacent the bottom and at least a portion of the sidesof the container for maintaining the container in operative shape without destroying the nonadhering properties in some of the walls thereof.

' \7. A sharp freezing container for use in 7 connection with mechanical refrigerating units, comprising a main container member and a plurality of individual containers independently positioned therein; said individual containers being made of elastic material to permit easy removal of the frozen article or articles therefrom.

8. A sharp freezing container for use in connection --W1th mechanical refrigerating units, comprising a main container and a.

plurality of individual containers positioned within said main container and formed of a permanent composition to which ice does not readily adhere whereby as permit easy removal of the frozen article or articles.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature- LLoYp G. GOPEMAN. 

